


Curiouser and Curiouser!

by enchanted_doughnut



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Horror, Minor Character Death, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29877630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchanted_doughnut/pseuds/enchanted_doughnut
Summary: The story of how Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander met, their encounters with creatures both kind and not-so-kind, and the beginning of their magical relationship.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood/Rolf Scamander





	Curiouser and Curiouser!

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this fic in the middle of 2019 and thanks to a recent lockdown I actually finished it, lol  
> It’s a writing exercise where I wanted to try experiment with unusual combinations of characters and genres, and so I thought I’d try putting Luna Lovegood in a horror setting. I’m such a scaredy-cat tho and not so well-versed in horror tropes, but I tried my best! Lol, I enjoyed writing this and hope you enjoy it too!
> 
> Trigger warning (and minor spoiler): There is an off-screen death of a child in this fic, due to the nature of a magical creature they encounter.

★ ★ ★

The giants in the sky were playing in the bathtub again. It was the only explanation for the amount of rain that had fallen over the last few days. It was understandable they were spending so long in there; they had a very busy summer. There had been so many days that the sun was shining happily, without any dreary clouds hiding its radiance. Luna wished she could have joined them outside, but between helping her father with The Quibbler and studying Magizoology she barely had any time to call her own. 

Now that the weather was getting cooler across Europe the giants had gone back home and were making an awful mess in their tub! The sky was fogged up with grey clouds and the rain showers seemed endless. Luna wished they weren’t taking so long; she really wanted to enjoy the nice weather herself before her classes started again. Maybe she could find the wizard who sold Muggles magical beanstalks and have some firm words with the giants? But the wizard might not have any beans anymore… the International Statute of Secrecy probably put a stop to his business back in the 1600s. 

No, Luna couldn’t let the rain put a damper on her mood! Just because the sun wasn’t kissing her skin didn’t mean the day would be any less special. Not every magical creature enjoyed being in the sunlight, just like not every wizard liked anchovy flavoured Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. 

Deep in a forest somewhere in Germany, Luna pushed aside one of the tree branches in her path, getting a sprinkle of droplets on her face. She had to walk carefully for the trees were old and had settled in long ago; their branches hung low and their roots protruded out of the ground. The forest wasn’t inherently magical, and Luna could already hear the phantom voices of her professors berating her for travelling to Germany and not going to the Black Forest. The Black Forest, of course, was a mecca for Magizoologists, as it had one of the highest concentrations of magical creatures in the world. 

Luna, however, believed that magic could be found in all kinds of hidden places (like on the tip of your nose or in your left shoe!) You just needed to look. Magical creatures tended to hide very well in Muggle forests like these, but Luna had faith in her lessons and knew she could communicate her intentions with the creatures. 

A sorrowful cry above Luna made her pause. Looking up, she saw an Augurey camouflaged with the damp branches of the tree above her. The sickly-looking bird was watching her closely down its sharp beak, it’s dark feathers catching the muted light like an oil stain. 

“You’re not native to Germany…” Luna whispered under her breath, curious. Louder, she spoke to the bird. “Hello, my name’s Luna.”

The Augurey gave another haunting cry before it opened its wings and took off, and one of its feathers slowly fell to the ground as the bird disappeared into the dim canopy. Smiling to herself, Luna picked up the feather admiring its dark shimmer. 

“Thank you for the gift, it’s beautiful,” she said, tucking it behind her ear. Most wizards fear Auguries thinking that their cry was an ill omen (or even a premonition of death!) But Luna knew that was just nonsense. The poor birds with their mournful songs and their thin, haggard appearance were simply misunderstood.

Pleased, Luna skipped through the forest. _It is strange to see an Augurey here,_ she thought to herself again. She wondered if it was out here alone, or if it had a family. 

Excited with the thought of discovering a flock this far south, she forced herself to slow down, making sure she was taking in everything around her. Luna believed that after her seven years at Hogwarts she had become an expert at searching for hidden things. Perhaps not in _finding_ everything that became misplaced, but she had certainly become very good at _looking_ for them.

And according to Luna, the best part about searching was that even though you might not find what you were looking for, you could discover something else wondrous you would normally miss. Acknowledging the wet bark under her hand and the sound of the damp leaves squishing underneath her feet, Luna carefully continued her journey through the forest.

Not half an hour later, Luna’s patience was rewarded. As she brushed off bark from her hair (she found a hole in a tree trunk and wanted to see if anything was inside) She spotted a glimmer out of the corner of her eye. Hiding beside a long fallen trunk covered in moss and bright fungi was a timid Screechsnap. 

Crouching down beside it, Luna carefully brushed its leaves, and the plant shivered, letting out a soft, high-pitched squeak. Luna rolled back on her heels, clapping her hands together with joy. It _was_ a Screechsnap! They only grow in areas rich with magical soil. First the Augurey and now the Screechsnap, this was _exactly_ what Luna had hoped to find today. 

Nestled away in this ancient forest, she had discovered a hidden world of magic! 

Jumping to her feet, Luna couldn’t contain the excitement bubbling inside her any more. Humming a tune, she skipped and danced through the forest, ducking under the hanging branches and stepping around the tangled shrubs that kept cheekily grabbing her silver cloak. Her elation only grew as she spotted more Screechsnaps and even a very bulbous looking Puffapod. 

Luna’s adventure took another thrilling turn when the trees suddenly thinned and she almost tripped as she stepped out onto a wide, dirt road. Looking around, Luna felt disorientated coming across something man-made after walking alone in the untouched forest for so long. Contemplating each direction, Luna wondered what she should do. 

All paths lead somewhere, and that _was_ where Luna was trying to go. But where was the Somewhere she was trying to find? Both directions looked the same; the dirt road cutting through the forest, softened by the fog that hung above the ground like a lost cloud. 

_Since I don’t know where I’m going, it wouldn’t matter which way I pick,_ Luna decided. 

Closing her eyes, she spun and spun in circles. Her hood flew off her head and her hair spun around with her. Raindrops fell on her outstretched hands and the muddy water under her feet splashed up onto her shins. Stumbling to a stop, Luna opened her eyes, blinking dazedly as the world warped around her. 

She was walking in… _that_ direction.

Still swaying, Luna tottered down the path, keeping her arms out for balance. Her shoes splashed in the small puddles, and occasionally Luna would stomp in them as hard as she could. Time passed, and eventually, the trees pressing against the road opened and she saw a house. 

It was old, maybe as old as the forest around it. Hand-carved stone rose for several stories, with arched windows and spiked metal finials adorning the roof. Vines and moss grew up the walls, trying to reclaim the building and return it to the forest. A large fountain adorned the overgrown garden before the mansion, it’s twinkling lullaby unsung for years.

Luna couldn’t guess how many centuries ago it was built, but there was one thing she was certain of; it was positively _shimmering_ with magic! If generations of witches and wizards lived in this mansion, it explained why there were magical flora and fauna nearby. But as Luna stepped closer she saw the most peculiar thing beside the row of shirking rose bushes.

It _looked_ like a giant, metal box with wheels attached. Painted on the side was the words _‘Cheep Truck Rentals!’_ And a motionless, cartoon bird winked as it gave a thumbs-up with its wing. There was an enclosed carriage with glass windows attached to the front of it, but nothing else for it to be pulled along by winged horses or Thestrals. 

_It must be a Muggle carriage,_ Luna concluded. 

Only Muggles could come up with something so strange. But that just opened the net to allow more questions flutter around in Luna’s mind. Did the Muggle’s live in this magical abode? Were they guests of the magical family? 

_Maybe the heiress to a Pureblood family married a Muggle,_ Luna theorised, romantically. 

Scratching her eyebrow, Luna wondered what she should do. If Muggles were living in the mansion, it would be best if she gave them a wide girth. But if there were wizards too, they might be able to help her with the creatures living in the surrounding forest. A surprisingly cold wind picked up, howling past Luna like a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. She shivered as her cloak flapped around her, acutely aware of how wet she had become from the rain and puddles. The rain was coming down heavier, like millions of tiny drum beats as an invisible marching band gave their final performance. 

_It would be nice to be warm for a few moments,_ Luna thought to herself. _And get dry…_

The overgrown pathway led to a short set of weathered, stone steps, presenting a giant, wooden door into the mansion. Walking down the path, Luna passed the old fountain. Dark moss was growing over it and the only water inside was a shallow pool from the rain. Luna gleefully spotted several Knuts on the bottom, winking at her through the dark water. 

She then noticed the second strange thing she’d seen today. Beside the fountain was a bright orange toy, but of _what_ she couldn’t guess. Luna picked it up, marvelling it in her hands. She turned it over, trying to figure out what it could be. It looked like another strange, metal carriage but this one was shaped more like a long cigar and… _it had wings sprouting from it!_

_Do Muggles have carriages that can fly?!_ Luna wanted to test this curious toy. Throwing it, her excitement sharply plummeted along with the toy carriage and it crashed onto the ground.

_Maybe it’s broken…_ Luna thought, dejectedly. 

She shivered again and the howling wind reminded her of what she was supposed to be doing. She hurried to the door, arms wrapped around her chest. While still sturdy, the door had weathered over the years; the beautiful carved pattern was sinking back into the dull timber, only the faintest splotches of varnish remained. In the centre of the door was a tarnished, metal door knocker of a prideful lion, a handle held tight in its jaws and its eyes shut. 

“Excuse me,” Luna spoke to it. “Is anyone home?” The door knocker didn’t move. “Excuse me, Mr Door.” Luna rapped the handle gently to wake it. 

The brass knocker slowly opened its eyes, looking around. It’s blank eyes locked onto Luna. _“_ _Muggles…”_ It rasped out.

Luna blinked, not understanding. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear you.”

_“ Muggles!”_ It repeated, sounding exasperated through the heavy metal still in its mouth. 

“Oh, alright. I’ll be on my way then, I’m sorry to disturb you.” Luna started to turn away from the door, but the lion spoke again. 

_“You must get rid of the Muggles!”_ The handle was spat from its mouth, clattering loudly at Luna’s feet. She stepped back, alarmed. _“They can’t be here!”_

“I’m sorry, I really can’t do that…” Luna backed away from the door, instinctively reaching for her wand. The cool wood against her fingertips calmed her.

_“You must get rid of them, witch! They cannot live here!”_ The door swung open, banging on the wall inside. Luna stared into the dark insides of the mansion, more than alarmed by the aggressiveness of the door.

Despite the large windows across the foyer, darkness seemed to grow inside, latching onto the corners and high ceilings. A dusty chandelier hung high above and was spun with cobwebs; grey and silver strands startled by the wind that rushed in when the door opened. Sitting on the tile flooring were piles of cardboard boxes with writing scrawled on the side, reading, _‘Kitchen’, ‘Study’,_ and _‘Living Room’._ On either side of the foyer were twin staircases which grew to the floors above and… 

Luna felt her breath escape her. A part of her argued that they could be sleeping. Sometimes when she explored Hogwarts she got sleepy and took little naps. While the mansion wasn’t anywhere near as big as Hogwarts, it was entirely possible that the person lying at the bottom of the staircase had found themselves tired, and decided to take a quick nap. 

_And perhaps they were drinking Dirigible Plum juice and accidentally knocked it over…_ That same part of her added. 

But Luna knew in her heart that the person sprawled across the floor at the foot of the stairs wasn’t sleeping, and she knew the red liquid that was shimmering like a pool of rubies wasn’t Dirigible Plum juice either. And from this, she knew she couldn’t leave. Carefully pulled out her wand, she inched into the house. 

Another gust of wind pushed past Luna and the chandelier swayed. Dust and Doxy droppings sprinkled down on her and she sneezed. As Luna carefully walked over to the body, her footsteps echoed, like another set of shoes were walking across the hard floor behind her. Kneeling beside the body, Luna touched their shoulder gently. They were lying on their stomach, their face turned away from her, their limbs stretched out like a Thunderbird in flight. The pool of blood-red rubies shined. 

“Excuse me…” Her voice barely carried, fighting to remain in her throat. The person remained still. They didn’t jerk as they were reeled back from their dreams, nor squirm in a soft protest to remain in slumber. Underneath her hand, their shoulders remained motionless as not a single breath was drawn. 

They were a Muggle, given their clothing. Denim trousers, a woollen jumper and white trainers on their feet. Had their death been an unfortunate accident, or was there something more sinister at play? If they were indeed a Muggle like Luna suspected, then she had no right to remain. But as she sneezed from Doxy droppings again, she remembered the Augurey and the Screechsnaps, and she knew her ticking time in the old mansion wasn’t quite up yet. 

Looked around, Luna saw red droplets and smears on the steps of the staircase; a morbid trail of breadcrumbs for her to follow. Taking a deep breath, Luna prepared herself. With her eyes wide, ears sharp and nose ready, she began her ascent.

Rain tapped on the glass windows and the chandelier swung slowly. From her vantage on the stairs, she could see the fountain and Muggle carriage through the windows behind her, and beyond in the distance, the trees swayed with the wind and rain. Their branches reached out to Luna like clawed hands.

When she reached the top of the staircase, the red droplets were gone. A hallway stretched out before her, with old timber flooring and peeling wallpaper, but she couldn’t tell how long it was. Darkness nestled in it, hiding its secrets from Luna. Raising her wand, _‘_ _Lumos’_ was shaped on her lips, when gleeful laughter rang from the darkness. 

_“Come forward, little one. Don’t be scared. It’s safe, here in the darkness, with me. You can trust me. Diddle-dee-dee.”_

The words tasted like her mum’s liquorice and peppermint cupcakes. It had been many years since she had last eaten them, but standing in the run-down hallway facing the thick darkness, she could taste the fresh mint and warm bitterness on her tongue. She remembered when she was a little girl and used to help her mum make them; when she snuck the wooden spoon covered in dough from the too-high counter and when a flying tea towel chased her around the kitchen, trying to dust off white flour from her periwinkle dress. 

Her belly ached with hunger, and Luna began walking towards the darkness. 

_“That’s right. Come towards me. I’ll protect you. Nothing can hurt you when you’re with me. Diddle-dee-dee.”_

The voice giggled again, high-pitched and mischievous, and Luna felt like a bucket of icy water was spilt down her back. Snapped from her memories, Luna’s wand shook in her hand as terror filled her. Trembling, Luna stumbled away from the sinister darkness that called to her, and instead of meeting the wooden floor, her ankle rolled over the top of the staircase. Luna’s heart stopped and she screamed as she fell backwards. 

Her wand flew from her hand, clattering down the stairs ahead of her as she tumbled down painfully. Each blunt edge dug into her unforgivingly as she hit it, bruising her skin. She threw her hands out in front of her face and when she hit the tiled floor at the bottom of the stairs, her wrist crunched under her.

Her vision blurred through tears and when Luna looked up, saw clouded eyes staring at her. She had landed beside the dead body, her face inches from theirs. A bloody wound was on their temple, rivers of dark blood running down their sickly skin and onto the floor underneath them. 

Luna screamed. She pushed herself onto her feet and hot pain shot up from her wrist through her arm. She nearly dropped her wand again as she fumbled blindly for it, her feet slipping on the tiles as she scrambled. She didn’t look back as she ran out of the house and fled into the forest. 

Fear rolled off her, tainting everything around her. The ancient trees that were once elderly grandparents looking down on a child were now twisted and deformed. Their shielding branches reached out and clawed at Luna, scratching her face and arms. Luna’s head was jerked back with a ferocious tug as her cloak got tangled in the branches. Fighting, she unclasped it from around her neck, leaving the silver fabric in the grasp of the hooked claws, and kept running. 

The roots she had danced between earlier tried to snag her feet and drag her down into the wet soil. Mud gripped the soles of her shoes like glue and the trees spun around her. She heard a ringing in her ears - the sound of her death. A haunting wail of a lonely soul wanting hers to join it. She was lost, stuck in a nightmare and unable to escape - 

“Ahh!” 

Luna cried out as her foot caught on a tangled root, sending her heavily onto the ground. Gasping, Luna tried to pull herself up. What… What just _happened?_

Cradling her wrist, she sat up. She could feel her heart throbbing in her arm and her fingers were tingling. Counting Hippogriffs, Luna took deep, slow breaths. She needed to calm down. She needed to reflect on what she had just experienced.

There was something magical residing in the mansion. Something dark. A Muggle was dead and the talking door-knocker knew all that was going on. It was like the stories her mum used to tell her before bedtime. Except in those, the Muggle was actually a princess who was next in line to the throne. And hiding in the darkness was a vengeful djinni, angry it had been awoken from its lamp. And sometimes, when all seemed lost, the mysterious, Fire-Breathing Warlock would appear. 

Luna heard a twig snap and her head shot up. Holding her wand in front of her, she waited. She heard more rustling, and her mind jumped in several different directions, expecting anything from an albino Thestral to Professor Flitwick to appear when a young man stepped out from behind the trees. He looked surprised to see Luna, his eyes darting between her and her wand and held his hands up slowly. Luna could see his robes underneath the green cloak he wore. 

“I won’t hurt you,” he said in a British accent. “Are you okay?” 

Was he the Fire-Breathing Warlock?! Luna stared at him with wide eyes, looking for hints of flame flickering off his body. “Yes,” she replied, then, “no. I think my wrist is broken.”

“Can I help you?” 

Luna nodded, and he knelt down in front of Luna, gently holding her wrist in his warm hands. “I think you might have,” he agreed after a moment. “Or badly sprained it. Would you like me to heal it?”

Luna nodded again. “Yes, please.”

The young wizard brushed his wand over her wrist, speaking the spell clearly. Luna felt a comforting heat envelope her wrist and she instantly felt better. Wriggling her fingers, she carefully rotated her wrist. “It’s still very tender, I wouldn’t move it too much if I were you,” he warned her. “Hold on, I have some healing supplies in my bag…”

Luna sat in silence as he pulled a roll of bandages from his pouch. _He could be the Fire-breathing Warlock,_ she mused. His hands were warm, and his spell felt warm. But she still hadn’t seen any flames yet… 

Luna always imagined the Warlock to be a wizened, rough adventurer with grey hairs and a thick beard. He was someone who talked more with his wand and less with words. Plus, he had a pet Drake who accompanied him on adventures. He wasn’t a smooth-faced, young man, with light, curly brown hair and a healing pouch.

“- Does that feel?”

Luna blinked out of her thoughts. “Sorry?”

He gave a familiar, half-smile. Ever since her first night at Hogwarts, it had become a common response people gave her when she spoke. “How does your wrist feel, now?” He repeated.

Luna tried moving it again, but the bandages held her wrist in place. “It feels tight. I am cold, however. Could you light a fire for me?”

“Here, you can take my cloak.” 

Luna wrapped his cloak around herself, trying not to let her disappointment show. 

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“There’s a dead Muggle in the house over there,” Luna said, pointing in the direction she ran from. “There’s something else magical too, but I’m not sure what. I fell down the stairs before I saw anything.” 

The man gaped at Luna like a stunned Plimpy. “A dead Muggle…? How did they die? Did you - I mean, what are you doing here? In this forest?” 

Realising the path his thoughts had wandered down, Luna gave him a gentle smile. “I didn’t do it,” she reassured him. “I was searching for magical creatures and came across the house. I think it’s the centre of a magical ecosystem here. I knew the house was magical, so I wanted to ask the owners if they knew about any creatures living around them.” 

A strange expression had crept across the man’s face at her words. Instead of calming him as she had hoped, he seemed to tense up even more. “You’re a Magizoologist?” He asked, with failed nonchalance.

“Not yet, I’m still studying. But look!” Luna pulled out the feather from behind her ear to show him. “I’ve already met an Augurey. I think there could be a flock living here!”

He frowned as he looked at the shimmering feather in her hand. Luna could almost see the thoughts travel through the wrinkles on his forehead. “Auguries aren’t native to these parts,” he finally said.

“I thought that too, but I found one! Isn’t it exciting?” 

He shook his head, standing up. Luna was surprised by the sudden coldness emitting from him. “There aren’t any flocks here. You’re mistaken.”

Anger bubbled up inside of her at his dismissal. “I am not mistaken,” she replied, standing up herself. She had to crane her neck up to glare at him. “Just because they haven’t been reported yet, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Everything is impossible until it’s not.” 

“No, that’s isn’t…” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t questioning your observations, but I _know_ there isn’t…” He trailed off again. “So, what’s your plan? Do you want me to help Apparate you to the German Ministry to report the Muggle?” 

Luna rolled his words around in her mind, considering. If she alerted the Ministry now, they would handle the clean-up with no regard for whatever was residing in the darkness. Her dad had always warned her of how painfully ignorant and brutish Ministries were, and something told Luna that this wasn’t an issue their methods would suit. She needed to handle this herself, as the door-knocker asked her to. 

“Hey, where are you going?!” The young man called out from behind her.

“Back to the house,” she said, stepping through the forest. “I want to help.” 

The man grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stop. Luna looked up at him, waiting for him to speak. “That house is a crime scene involving a Muggle!” He exclaimed. “There’s all sorts of trouble you can get yourself into for interfering with it!”

“I won’t be interfering. I’m helping,” Luna told him.

“Those two words seem interchangeable.”

“There’s something magical in that house,” Luna repeated, quietly. “It’s related to the Muggle’s death, whether intentionally or by accident. I need to find out which, before the Ministry do.” 

“And what happens if it _was_ intentional? What if it’s…” The man fumbled as he tried to think of something that would deter her. “A serial killer! A dark wizard serial killer!”

“I’ve fought many dark wizards before.” 

“Or… or maybe it’s a malefic ghost! It didn’t like intruders in its home and so it attacked them.” 

Luna frowned, slightly. “I’ve never encountered a ghost like that, before,” she said. “None of the ghosts in Hogwarts were dangerous, not even the Bloody Baron. He was heartbroken.” 

“Well, of course they’re not! Do you think they’d allow a dangerous spirit to remain inside Hogwarts?” The man said, seriously. “I’m sure you remember the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade? That’s where they trap dangerous ghosts so they can’t attack people!” 

“The Shrieking Shack isn’t haunted. There was a Werewolf inside.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“He taught Defence Against the Dark Arts in my second year.”

“... The Werewolf living in the Shrieking Shack was your Defence professor?”

Luna nodded. “That’s right. Didn’t you have Professor Lupin?” 

“He must have taught after I left,” he said, faintly. 

“That’s a shame. He was my favourite Defence professor. I liked Professor Moody too, but he turned into a Death Eater. Or he always was one. I get confused about that…” 

A cold breeze snaked through the trees, shaking droplets of rain on them. Luna blinked away as they hit her face. She was glad she was wrapped up in his cloak. It wasn’t as pretty as hers, but it was a lot warmer. 

“H-Hey! Don’t walk away again!”

Luna turned around to the young man again, careful to keep his cloak out of the mud. “Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t say anything, so I thought our conversation was over.”

The man had an exasperated look on his face. “Look, if you’re going back to the house, I’m coming with you.”

Luna smiled. “My name is Luna Lovegood. Thank you for helping me.”

“Rolf,” he said, his face an interesting mixture of annoyed, worried and confused. “My name’s Rolf.”

★

The mansion appeared far more ominous to Luna as she approached it the second time. Before, she had marvelled at its old beauty and architecture as the sands of time were sprinkled over it, but now, it felt derelict and haunting. Like the light inside it had long been extinguished and all that remained was the lifeless husk, waiting to be claimed by the forest. 

“I think that’s a Muggle carriage,” Luna pointed out the strange transportation by the rose bushes. She had her own cloak back over her shoulders, collecting it from the trees on their way to the mansion.

“Oh, yes, that’s called an ‘automobile’,” Rolf said knowledgeably. “I’ve been in one before, but it was smaller. It’s quite scary, actually. I’d much rather ride a broomstick, it’s far safer.” 

They walked up the weathered steps to the wooden door of the mansion. At their feet, the brass ring still lay on the ground. The lion on the door remained with its mouth open like it was frozen in mid-roar. At least it would have if its eyes were open; to Luna, it looked like the wind had changed while it was yawning. 

Gently knocking on the wood, Luna tried to wake it again. “Excuse me, Mr Door?”

The lion slowly opened its eyes. _“Muggles…”_

“Did you know about the Muggle dying?” Luna asked. “Was it a ghost who killed him?”

_“The Muggles need to leave!”_ The lion rasped. _“They don’t belong here!”_

“Perhaps it was a dark wizard who lured them in?” 

_“This house is for magical families, not Muggles! You must get rid of them, witch!”_

“Don’t waste your breath,” Rolf interrupted as Luna opened her mouth to ask more questions. “Doors only see the coming and going. They never know what’s happening in between.”

Luna looked at him, taken aback by his surprisingly insightful comment. Pulling her wand out, she carefully pushed the door open. Looking around at every dark corner and shadow that had made its home in the foyer, she noted everything looked the same. The cardboard boxes, the chandelier covered in cobwebs, the pool of blood twinkling like rubies…

“The body’s gone,” she murmured. “It was lying there before.”

Rolf stared at the pool of blood at the base of the staircase, his face pale. He withdrew his own wand from his sleeve, the movement so fluid and unthreatening Luna barely noticed. “Where to?” He asked.

“Upstairs.”

“I’ll go first.”

As Rolf began to climb the staircase, Luna glanced back. In the tall windows, in front of the trees moving with the grey rain, she caught her reflection, pale and transparent. Professor Trelawney would say it was a bad omen. Holding onto the bannister, Luna climbed the stairs behind Rolf. Another time, she would have tried to match his steps, skipping every second, but now something primal was clawing inside of her as she returned to what caused such fear before. It made her think that line that wizards drew between man and beast was too solid. 

The darkness was waiting when they reached the top of the staircase. She couldn’t see down it, the thick, inky blackness hiding everything and nothing from her. “This is as far as I got,” Luna said. “The voice came from down there.”

“Voice?” Rolf sounded alarmed. “You never mentioned a voice before.”

“It called out to me, it wanted me to join it. It sounded like the cupcakes my mum used to make.” Luna took a deep breath, and confessed, “I wanted to go to it.”

Upon reflection, the yearning and hunger she had felt before wasn’t normal. The memories she had of her mum were loving and happy, but whatever was in the mansion had taken one and twisted it into something dark. Luna knew she was being greedy, but she only had a limited number of memories and treasured all of them. She couldn’t lose a single one. 

With the taste of peppermint and liquorice on her tongue, Luna raised her wand and pointed it towards the darkness. 

_“Expecto Patronum!”_

The silver hare burst from her wand like a firecracker, leaping forwards into the darkness. The hallway lit up in silvery light as the hare hopped down it, revealing the old wallpaper and closed doors leading to other rooms. When it reached the end of the empty hallway, the hare stopped and looked around, it’s nose twitching. 

With nothing in sight, the glowing hare returned to Luna. It sat on the floor beside her feet, scratching its ears with its paws as it waited for new instruction. With a wave of her wand, the hare faded away and darkness returned to the hallway, though it didn’t seem quite so suffocating anymore. 

“What are you doing?” Rolf asked, confused. 

“I wanted my memories back,” Luna replied. 

“By casting a Patronus charm…?”

“It took a happy memory and tried to turn it into despair. I thought that if it doesn’t like happiness, then a Patronus charm might work.” 

Rolf chuckled, dryly. “You must be one of Hill’s students.” 

“I don’t think so. I haven’t had any lessons from hills.” Luna blinked in realisation. “Do you mean Garden Gnomes? I’ve tried talking to the Gnomes near my home before, but they don’t say much besides particularly rude swear words. I will have to try harder when I get back.” 

Rolf looked confused. “What? No, I mean Hartley Hill. He’s the head Professor specialising in dark creatures in London. You said you were studying Magizoology, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I am, but I haven’t had any lessons on dark creatures, yet. I’m only in second year.” 

“You’re only a second-year?!” Rolf repeated, looking once again like a gaping Plimpy. “Wait, then how do you know how to cast a Patronus Charm?! Hill only teaches final year students intending to specialise in Dementors and Lethifolds, and...” 

Luna patted Rolf on the arm, trying to calm the poor man down. “I learnt while I was at Hogwarts. Harry Potter taught me.”

“Oh, Harry Potter taught you.” Rolf’s voice was several octaves higher than normal and slightly hysterical. Maybe Wrackspurts had gotten to him... “You know what, that’s fine. After the Werewolf in the Shrieking Shack, having Harry Potter as a teacher is perfectly normal.” 

“You shouldn’t be mean,” Luna reprimanded him. “People with lycanthropy are generally very friendly twenty-nine days of the month.” 

“But it’s that one day that you can’t forget about. One minute you’re tracking a herd of Mooncalves on a full moon and the next…” Rolf shuddered. 

“Did you escape?” Luna asked, hushed. 

Rolf looked at her incredulously. “Of course. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“I didn’t want to assume. Werewolves are lovely people on most days, and you’re perfectly pleasant, too.”

“Erm… thanks?” Rolf coughed. “I’m still not a Werewolf.”

“I wouldn’t judge even if you were.” Luna patted his arm again and smiled up at him. 

“That’s kind of you to say,” Rolf said, dryly. He turned to the dark hallway and his expression became serious, again. “Stay alert. No reaction to a Patronus charm doesn’t rule out a lot.” 

Casting Lumos, Rolf and Luna began inspecting the hallway. The first door they opened was mostly empty; furniture covered with white sheets were placed haphazardly in the room, and a mattress leaned against the far wall. Cardboard boxes labelled _‘Spare Bedroom’_ were in the corner near the mattress. 

The next room made Luna’s sick in her stomach. The cardboard boxes were folded up next to the door, the contents already in place. Bright colours decorated the room: cheerful curtains with smiling fish and happy sharks matched the pillows and blankets on the bed. Toys were scattered across the room, like the universe of a child’s mind. In the centre of the room, a pool of rubies glistened in wandlight. 

Rolf grabbed her shoulders harshly and spun her around, but it was too late. 

“No…” She whispered.

“Luna, we’re leaving. This instant,” Rolf said, his voice trembling slightly. 

“But…”

_“No,_ Luna,” he said forcefully. “We are not continuing this search. Whoever did this - or _whatever_ did this - is now for Aurors to handle.” 

“They might still be alive…” Luna said, clinging onto the hopefulness that was drowning in despair.

“Luna…” 

“No, Rolf. They might be alive.” Using these words as strength, Luna wrenched herself from Rolf’s grip and stormed out of the child’s room. 

She barely made a step into the hallway when the laughter started, again. She froze as the same gleeful giggling she heard before rang in her ears, the sound so comforting as it made promises it couldn’t keep. 

_“You came back! Why did you leave, before? I could have protected you. You wouldn’t have been hurt if you stayed with me. Diddle-dee-dee…”_

Small, red eyes were staring at her through the darkness. They belonged to the one who spun such hunger and lies. They were the one who made the Muggle tumble down the stairs as she did after. They were the one who stole the child’s soul. 

Rolf stepped beside Luna and his wandlight shone through the hallway. 

Crouched near them was a small creature. It looked almost like a disfigured House Elf with sharp thorns protruding from the grey skin along its thin arms and legs, and its wide mouth was full of sharp teeth. It hissed when the light hit it, claw-like hands shielding its face. 

_“Pullus!”_

Purple light exploded from Rolf’s wand and enveloped the creature. When the light faded, a white chicken stood in its place, looking startled. It clucked. 

“Let’s go!” 

Rolf grabbed Luna’s hand and dragged her down the stairs. She nearly stumbled trying to keep up with his long steps but managed to reach the bottom successfully. Rolf didn’t let go of her as they side-stepped the pool of blood, and pulled her through to room off the foyer. The room perhaps once was a drawing-room, with the large, stone fireplace and sofas covered by white sheets. 

“It’s an Erkling,” Rolf said. “They’re dangerous little things. The German Ministry of Magic has tight control over their population, I’m surprised one is out here freely-”

“They eat children,” Luna said. 

Rolf looked over at her, uncertain. “Yes,” he confirmed. “They do.” 

“What would the Ministry do when they find out what happened?” 

“... Their Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures will euthanise it,” Rolf admitted. “It’s killed more than one person. There’s next to no chance they would let it live, now.” 

Luna took comfort in seeing Rolf looked as distressed about it as she felt. “I’d rather that didn’t happen,” she said. 

“I wouldn’t either, but there’s a reason the Ministry culled the population so drastically. There were so many cases near The Black Forest, and the Erklings didn’t differentiate between magical children and Muggles. Magical families could put up charms to protect their homes, but Muggles were helpless.”

“Can’t we take it to a colony, then?” Luna asked. “One in the Black Forest?” 

Rolf worried his lip. “My jinx won’t last for long. We’ll need to lure it out and capture it. I don’t have any equipment suitable for this.”

There might be something in Luna’s pouch they could use. She tried to make sure she was prepared for any situation. Pulling out the pouch from her robes, she opened the drawstring and began digging around. “I have cubes of raw meat,” she said. “We could use those to lure it out.”

“Erkling’s are a lot smarter than that,” Rolf said. “They normally draw their prey to them, so I don’t think such a trap will work. We could try trigger it’s hunting instincts, but we’d need some kind of scarecrow. A human-like decoy to gain its attention.”

Luna had many things in her bag, but she didn’t have a scarecrow. She’d have to fix that when she got back home. But she must have _something_ else that could work. Elbow deep in her bag, she began feeling through everything inside. Feathery, fluffy, smooth - oh, that’s a potion bottle! Feathery, spiky - ow! Feathery… 

“Could you hold this for me?” She asked, pulling the large hat out of the bag. “It keeps getting in the way.”

“What on Earth…?” Rolf took the hat gingerly. The Harpy nesting on it snarled at him, feathered hackles raised, it’s winged arms ruffling. The human face was locked onto Rolf, yellow eyes daring him to move. 

“It’s my Holyhead Harpies hat! I wear it when I attend their games.” 

“Didn’t pick you for a Harpies fan,” Rolf said, eyeing the Harpy wearily. It’s snarling was getting louder, it’s teeth bared at the man in such close proximity to it. “Didn’t pick you for a Quidditch fan, full stop.”

“Oh, I’m not really,” Luna said, cheerfully. “But my friend plays for them, and I enjoy cheering her on and supporting her. I’ve been to every one of her games -”

Luna was interrupted by an unholy screech as the Harpy launched itself from the hat towards Rolf’s face. Luna watched in fascination as Rolf stumbled back, dropping the hat. His arms shot up to shield his face, and - 

“Well done!” Luna applauded him, clapping. 

Rolf had the tiny Harpy’s wings stretched out in his hands, leaving its body to twist and flail, hopelessly. The most effective method of dealing with an aggressive Harpy was to pin their wings, and Rolf had done so flawlessly. “This is uncannily accurate to the real thing,” he said through gritted teeth. “Your charmwork is excellent. Do something about it, will you?” 

Luna was about to end the spell that animated the Harpy, when a loud clang came from the floor above them, followed by a high-pitched shriek. Even the Harpy stopped moving, frozen in mid-air as it tried to scratch Rolf’s face with its taloned feet. 

“I think I’ve got a plan for trapping it,” Rolf said, staring at the Harpy. The Harpy stared back, its yellow eyes wide. 

Ten minutes later they were back upstairs, Rolf’s impromptu plan underway. An enlarged potion bottle with a crooked row of air holes drilled into the glass was lying on it’s side in the middle of the hallway, the insides coated with Super Sticky Slime Luna had gotten from the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Half submerged in the toxic-green slime was her Holyhead Harpies hat, the miniature Harpy screeching and thrashing around furiously. 

“Are you familiar with Ridgebit’s Concealment Trinity?” Rolf asked.

Luna nodded. “Sight, scent and sound,” she said. “Conceal them to observe magical creatures without interference from the wizard’s presence.”

Luna began casting the concealment charms on herself. Her body disappeared into the faded wallpaper behind them, her breaths quietened, the scent of her sunflower and stardust perfume faded. She turned to Rolf, and despite him being right beside her, she could barely see him, anymore. The floral wallpaper was warped in the vague shape of a tall man, which turned to look at her. 

Luna leaned back as his shape came in closer to her. She heard distant murmurs and realised Rolf was speaking to her. Luna tried saying she couldn’t hear him, but her words were as lost in silence as his. 

A second later, Luna realised what he was trying to tell her. The Harpy’s screeches had reached a piercing volume in the silent hallway, making Luna wince. The screeches bouched off the ceiling and walls - four, five, six, an infinity of Harpies screamed into the dark silence - as a small shape with glowing red eyes slunk slowly towards it. 

_“Are you trapped? You poor thing. Don’t worry, I can help you break free. Diddle-dee-dee.”_

Luna jumped when she felt a tight hand grip her wrist. She turned back, but Rolf was still an invisible shape, hidden to the world around them. The Erkling was clueless to their presence as it fixated on the Harpy. It continued to croon at it, speaking in its rhymes, but the Harpy only screeched in response, it’s mouth wide and fangs bared. As the Erkling got close to the glass bottle, it stopped speaking, and began making a low chittering noise - a sound deep from the back of its throat, similar to a giggle, but far more inhuman. 

The Erkling’s long nose twitched as it slowly circled the bottle, sniffing the small holes in the glass. It stopped when it reached the opening to the bottle, and the Harpy thrashed against the green slime harder. Like a Kneazle, the Erkling crouched low, it’s body wiggling as it’s red eyes fixed on the Harpy. 

The Erkling pounced, Rolf waved his wand, the cork stopper flew across the hallway sealing it securely inside. The Harpy hat was ripped in half in an explosion of yellow sparks and white stuffing. 

★

The rain had stopped and blue sky was already starting to peek through the clouds when Luna and Rolf left the house. The Erkling - safe inside the potion bottle Luna carried in her arms - hissed as the sunlight hit it, clumps of stuffing and fabric caught between its sharp teeth. Carefully, Luna moved her arms so her robe sleeves shielded the creature from the sun. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll release you soon,” she told the Erkling, who made an unhappy sound in response. 

Luna turned to Rolf to ask if he’d prefer Apparating to the Black Forest alone, or if was happy to Side-Along Apparate with her and the Erkling, when a sorrowful cry came from above them, making them look up. Circling them was the Augurey Luna had met so many hours ago, it’s outstretched wings and long tail a black shadow against the sunlight. 

Excitedly, Luna opened her mouth to tell Rolf, when the Augurey flew down to them and landed on Rolf’s shoulder. 

“Her name’s Inky,” Rolf said, stroking the Augurey’s feathers lightly. “I found her up in Ireland when she was a chick. She had fallen out of the nest, and her mother was refusing to take her back.”

“I guess I was wrong about there being an Augurey population here…” Luna said, dejectedly. 

“Don’t feel bad,” Rolf told her. “You saw her in a magical ecosystem, it’s only understandable why you’d come to that conclusion. It doesn’t speak poorly of your skills in Magizoology at all.” 

Rolf let out a long exhale. “I never told you my full name. I’m Rolf Scamander.”

“I’m Luna Lovegood.” The Erkling hissed as Luna shifted the large bottle against her hip, so she could hold her hand out to Rolf. 

“Err… I know. You told me, before.”

“Oh,” Luna blinked slowly. “I thought we were reintroducing ourselves.”

“We are. _I_ am, I mean. I’m Rolf Scamander. Grandson of Newt Scamander.”

“I’m Luna Lovegood, granddaughter of Violetta Lovegood.” 

“Damn it, I know who you are!” Rolf exclaimed, frustrated. “Newt Scamander! The Father of Modern Magizoology? Surely you’ve heard of him since he basically invented everything you’re studying right now.” 

“I know who Newt Scamander is,” Luna said. “I’ve read all of his books several times. But I don’t see why that’s important. You’re not him, you’re Rolf.” 

Rolf opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. He was staring at Luna, half in surprise, half shock.

“Be careful,” Luna warned him. “Billywigs will nest in your mouth if you keep it open like that.”

  
  



End file.
